Degree Eligibility and Graduation Information

Degree Eligibility and Graduation Information

Degree Eligibility

Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements of their specific degree programs.

To be eligible for a bachelor’s degree, students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (based on a 4.0 scale), with the exception of Art & Design students who are required to have a minimum grade point average of 2.3 (based on a 4.0 scale).

To be eligible for a PhD, certificate of graduate study, or master’s degree, students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale). Only courses numbered 5000 or above are acceptable for graduate degree programs.

Students enrolled in graduate programs must complete their degree requirements within seven (7) years from the year of the first course that was taken as either a degree or non-degree student at Lesley University or another regionally accredited institution. Courses completed more than seven (7) years before the anticipated date of graduation will not be accepted. The PhD programs have specific requirements pertaining to courses taken at other regionally accredited institutions. These are detailed in the Transfer of Credits section of this catalog.

See the Grading Information section of this catalog for specific information about grade requirements for required and elective courses. Please check the degree requirements for specific programs in each program area.

Course Registration and Grades for Final Semester

Most students are enrolled at least half-time status (6 credits for undergraduates; 3 credits for graduate students) in order to maintain eligibility for Federal Financial Aid, and some students, such as international students, must be registered at full-time (12 undergraduate, 9 graduate) throughout their enrollment, including their final semester prior to graduation. Doctoral students should be registered as continuing students every semester until completion of their degrees. 

Only students who are actively enrolled in institutional credit at Lesley University are eligible to graduate.   Therefore, students cannot pursue any transfer credits, CLEP exams, or other external courses in their last semester.

Students must be registered for institutional credit at Lesley University in the semester they intend to graduate; doctoral students must be registered in a matriculation or continuation course in the semester they intend to graduate. Coursework must be completed, and grades submitted to the Office of the University Registrar, by the dates published in each year’s academic calendars found at https://lesley.edu/students/academic-resources/academic-calendars.

Faculty should submit final grades via Self-Service to the Office of the University Registrar for all students expecting to graduate by the deadlines published in the academic calendars. Grades submitted at this time by faculty are final and cannot be changed.

Students are responsible for seeing that all degree or certificate requirements have been met and should consult with their advisor to review their degree requirements. It is important for students to consult with their advisor at the beginning of the semester or term prior to graduation. Students will not be eligible for graduation the same semester or term that acceptance to a degree or certificate of advanced graduate study program is given. Students must have a minimum of one semester between the time of acceptance and the date of graduation.

Important Note: Transfer and prior learning assessment (PLA) credits, as well as course waiver and substitution processing, must be completed, and posted to a student’s academic record, at least one semester prior to the beginning of the student’s final semester before their graduation. If the above documentation is not received within the stated timelines, a student's degree conferral may be moved to the following conferral period and additional Lesley course work may be required. 

Graduation Application

Students who complete their course of study and expect to graduate must file an electronic Graduation Application via Self-Service at www.lesley.edu/selfservice. The online form must be submitted by the published deadlines listed in the academic calendars. No exceptions to these dates will be made. Any student not filing online by the appropriate date is ineligible for that conferral period.

If requirements are not completed, the Graduation Application will be moved to the next conferral period, but this courtesy is only allowed once without exceptions. A new Graduation Application must be submitted when the student is ready to graduate and has completed all degree requirements. Students should check with their advisor before filing the application.

The Graduation Application must be submitted regardless of plans to participate in the May commencement ceremony. All students who complete degree programs during the September or January conferral dates are invited to participate in the following May commencement ceremony.

Graduation Ceremony and Degree Conferrals

Degrees are conferred multiple times throughout the year. Specific conferral dates are published annually in the online Academic Calendar at https://lesley.edu/students/academic-resources/academic-calendars. However, Lesley University holds one commencement ceremony each year, in May. Students participating in the May commencement ceremony will pay an additional fee for cap and gown. Graduates who received their degrees earlier in the academic year (prior conferees) are also invited to participate in the May commencement ceremony.

Diplomas are mailed within four weeks of each conferral date. Graduates are not eligible to receive their diplomas unless all financial obligations to the university, including fines for overdue library materials and outstanding parking fines, have been paid prior to graduation.

Commencement Participation Policy

To participate in the May commencement ceremony, students must complete all degree requirements of their programs and fulfill all financial obligations to the university. To participate in the commencement ceremony, students must file the electronic Graduation Application via Self-Service (www.lesley.edu/selfservice) by the appropriate deadline listed on the academic calendar.

Students who will complete their degree requirements by taking courses in the summer at Lesley following commencement may be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony as a “March Only” candidate. Graduate students with no more than three credits remaining to finish and undergraduate students with no more than six credits remaining may participate in the May commencement ceremony, provided they file a Graduation Application for their actual conferral. Students who have more than the maximum number of credits left to complete (including incomplete and still in progress (SIP) grades not yet changed) will not be eligible to participate in the May commencement.

Note: Ph.D. candidates are not eligible for “March Only”. All degree requirements for Ph.D. candidates must be met in order to participate in the May ceremony.

Post-Graduation Changes to Records

After graduation, the student's academic record is sealed and cannot be changed.  All academic records held by the University must be maintained as they were at the time the student's degree was conferred.

Latin Honors at Graduation

Latin Honors for official transcripts, diplomas, and reader cards at the May Commencement Ceremony are based on the final semester cumulative G.P.A. standings. However, the Commencement Programs are printed before May degree candidates’ final semester grades have been received from the faculty. Therefore, the Latin Honor status for the Commencement Program is determined based on the graduation residency requirement (i.e., 30 credits for B.S./B.S.W./B.A./B.A.L.degrees and 57 credits for B.F.A. degrees) and the cumulative grade point average at the end of the last Fall or penultimate semester.

To graduate with Latin honors a student must have met the graduation residency requirement outlined above and must have achieved the following minimum cumulative grade point average: 

Only undergraduate students receiving degrees will be recognized for Latin Honors. All degree requirements must be fulfilled to be recognized with Latin Honors.